M5 CS

Make
BMW
Segment
Sedan

Even if you haven't been won over by fully electric vehicles yet, it's impossible to deny that they've dramatically shifted the performance benchmarks that once appeared out of reach. The horsepower outputs and acceleration records that are now being achieved are frankly ludicrous, and they wouldn't have been possible without electrification.

BMW is set to enter the EV power wars with Tesla, Lucid, and others in the not-too-distant future with its new Neue Klasse architecture. While this architecture will underpin models that perform similarly to today's i4, there will also be quad-motor M variants that can perform four-wheel standing donuts thanks to a dedicated electric motor powering each wheel. Obviously, these electric M cars will be insanely powerful and could power a possible hypercar, but we weren't certain of the specific numbers until now.

In a recent interview, BMW Blog spoke with Frank Weber, Head of Engineering and R&D at BMW, to find out more about the brand's future EVs. When the topic of electric M cars came up, Weber explained what's possible.

"What you can expect from this Neue Klasse architecture is not only flexibility within your high voltage battery," said Weber. "You can also have a super efficient single-motor architecture, a dual-motor architecture, and this can even deliver a four-motor architecture up to one megawatt."

Wait, what exactly is one megawatt? It works out to 1,000 kilowatts, obviously, or 1,341 horsepower. That would mean that BMW M has the tools to build an EV that's more powerful than the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Sapphire, the quickest sedans in the world.

This quad-motor powertrain would also surpass anything BMW currently builds by a country mile. The brand's most powerful EV sold in America is currently the 610-hp iX M60, and its most powerful gas-only model has so far been the 627-hp M5 CS. Add those two together, and they still wouldn't reach the potential output of the quad-motor powertrain.

Of course, a great sports car isn't merely about horsepower. It needs to awaken the senses in ways that go beyond trying to smash into the horizon at every opportunity. What car could this powertrain be used in? We'd love to see something exotic to look at, not necessarily practical, but a desirable halo product that is special in every way.

The quad-motor powertrain could serve as the basis for a proper BMW supercar or hypercar - not an experimental, compromised one like the discontinued i8 - to compete with the next-generation Audi R8, a supercar that is going fully electric itself. We're thinking of something that takes the form of the dramatic Vision M Next project. BMW could also build a more powerful i7 that can match the Tesla and Lucid rivals we mentioned in a straight line, while combining that power with the brand's advanced technologies and quality interiors.

By 2030, half of BMW's lineup will be fully electric. While many will be volume sellers, the quad-motor powertrain has us excited about the prospect of an all-electric hypercar that leads the M division into a new era.